This invention relates generally to a novel alarm system and more particularly to an alarm system for use in various distribution systems. While certain features of this invention may be adapted for many different uses, the disclosure will be facilitated by directing the invention to the problem of warning the operator of a blockage or lack or product in a distribution system primarily used in the farming industry.
The term distribution system as used shall include liquid and dry fertilizer spreader systems, either ground propelled or distributed by aircraft and planting implements commonly known as drills. All of these systems are related in that they have numerous distribution points for their product. These distribution points have a tendency to become clogged or blocked or to become empty from lack of product. Further, each of these systems have a container for the product sometimes called a hopper.
For ease of describing the within invention and further facilitating the disclosure, the disclosure will be directed to the planting implement commonly known as a drill.
As is well known, a farmer engaged in mechanized planting of various seed utilizes a drill. A "drill" is a form of implement which may have a single hopper or numerous hoppers. The hopper is connected to either a single or plurality of chutes for distribution of the seeds to the ground. It is in the chute that the distribution of seed becomes a critical factor in a farmer's planting. During the operation of planting, a farmer may pull as many as seven or more drills behind the tractor and simultaneous malfunctions may occur on one or more of the drills at the seed chutes. When this happens, the farmer may fail to plant a portion of his field which prohibits the most advantageous crop yield.
There are numerous inventions available for monitoring population including Steffen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,159 which are concerned with the seed population in a field. However, such inventions are expensive, bulky and difficult to maintain. The present invention is so simple that a farmer may install this alarm system on any distributing system. A farmer may further, without any electronic knowledge, maintain its operation. Further, the present invention is designed in a manner that a farmer, through this novel alarm system, can observe whether his hired help is properly attending the planting process. With this distribution system, once activation is effected, there is a simultaneous visual and audible alarm. The operator can place the system in the standby mode by actuating the run/inhibit switch which inhibits the audible alarm. However, the visual portion of the alarm remains in effect and the farmer can observe whether or not hired help is running with the system in the inhibit position. The purpose of the run/inhibit switch is to allow the operator to turn the audible portion of the system off while clearing the malfunction and simultaneously prohibit a false malfunction indication by the remaining alarm circuits. Once the malfunction is corrected, the run/inhibit switch is returned to the run position. The verify portion of the alarm system is designed in a manner that once a malfunction has initiated the alarm system, if the malfunction corrects itself within a short time period and the operator returns the switch to the run position, the alarm system resets and the operator can continue planting without having to stop and investigate a false malfunction. An example of such would be where one or more of the chutes would become momentarily clogged and then clear themselves by the foward motion of the drill.
Further, near the top of each drill, there is a visual alarm which is simultaneously initiated with the indicator in the control unit showing which chute has a malfunction. All portions of the alarm system, including indicators, are reset to the standby condition after removal of the malfunction and depressing the reset switch on the control unit. The system is placed back in the run condition after the operator starts the forward motion of the tractor and returns the run-inhibit switch to run.
Further, the present state of the art requires that in the use of monitoring systems presently available, a farmer must dedicate his tractor as well as the specific farm implement. With the exception of a nominal amount of electronics, the present invention is mounted on the drill with a simple electrical disconnect from the tractor, allowing the tractor to be as versatile as the farmer desires.